Continuing on our squash series, this vegan recipe is an autumn-inspired spiced variation of a coffee cake that uses zucchini as a substitute for eggs and butter.
To tell the truth, my original plan was to make a traditional, moist and dense zucchini bread, but since the days are getting shorter and rain was gently tapping on our windows, I simply found myself in the mood for some warmth, comfort, and coziness. As a result, my Spiced Apple Zucchini Cake celebrates the transition from long summer days to snuggly fall evenings.
Prep Time: 35 min | Bake Time: 50-55 min | Serves: 8 | Difficulty Level: ♦♦♦ – Intermediate
The batter
- 2 ¼ cups Flour – all-purpose
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Oil – canola or olive
- 2 Flax Eggs
- 1 ⅔ Zucchini – grated
- ½ cup Raisins – medley
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
to decorate
- 2 Ginger Gold apples
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Clover – freshly-ground
- 1/4 tsp Star Anise – freshly-ground
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg – freshly-grated
For the batter
Start with the less entertaining part of the process: grating the zucchini into a medium bowl. With the help of a strainer, press the shredded zucchini down to expel as much liquid as possible. Place the drained shreds into a large mixing bowl. Repeat this step until you have 1 ⅔ cups of shredded and drained zucchini in the large mixing bowl.
Prepare the flax eggs according to the instruction of on the package.
Add flax eggs, sugar, and oil to the bowl containing the prepared zucchini. Combine with a wooden spoon, and add the flour in 2 additions, sprinkling in the baking soda in between the two additions. Mix a few times with a wooden spoon, add the cinnamon and raisins, and continue to mix well until the batter is evenly-combined, and the flour is completely absorbed. The batter will not be slack, but if you feel that it is too tough to mix, add 1 or 2 tbsp of plant-based milk. Careful! If you return too much liquid to the batter, the cake will be flat and raw in the middle.
Grease a 9” round cake pan with butter, dust with flour to form a blanket of powder, shake from side to side while gently tapping on the bottom of the pan, and lastly discard the excess flour. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and level gently with a spatula.
Preheat the oven to 370 °F.
To finish and decorate
Ready for some fun? Go on and slice the apples into 14 to 16 1/2″ thin slices, and lay them on top of the batter, gently pressing down. The patter you choose doesn’t matter – just have fun and decorate as you please.
Dust the top with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and nutmeg.
Bake the cake for 50 to 55 min.
Serve warm and enjoy alongside a steaming cup of tea.
EXTRAS AND TIPS
If you are a veritable sweet tooth, use 3/4 cup of sugar as opposed to 1/2. Chris and I tend to prefer desserts with a high-flavor profile and low-sugar content, but feel free to increase the quantity if you prefer sweeter results.
Moving on to the raisins, I used a medley of Thompson, crimson, and golden. You can buy a convenient, ready-to-use bag of raisin medley from nuts.com (https://nuts.com/driedfruit/raisins/medley.html). Indeed we have been using this distributor for years to purchase bulk quantities of dried fruit, nuts, and grains, and we have never been disappointed in their products and timely deliveries.
For the flax eggs, the ratio of water to powder is typically 3:1. Read the prepping instructions on the package, as directions may vary depending on the brand.
In case you are not too sure if the interior of the cake is fully-baked, do the “toothpick experiment” – e.g., stick a toothpick down in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the batter is cooked through and ready to come out of the oven.
